Homeless Remember 18-Year-Old Cheyenne “Kid” Carrasco, Who Died on Santa Ana River Trail

“She was supposed to wake me up before she did it, but she never did,” says the young man who woke up next to Cheyenne Carrasco, an 18-year-old who died Tuesday evening on the Santa Ana River trail. He says it was from an overdose.

Homeless activists came together Wednesday morning to mourn the passing of someone everyone knew as Kid. They held a vigil and decorated her campsite with flowers, candles and signs. Those present said Kid had been living on the river trail for just a week before her death. Before that, she was in rehab for 45 days. “Before she went to rehab, she used to live further down south of the riverbed,” says Spice, a homeless lady who was neighbors to Kid and whom everyone calls Mom because she tends to keep things in check between homeless, activists and outsiders. She put tulips on Kid’s memorial. “I often saw her walking by herself. She wasn’t very social. She was barefoot once so I went over and asked her if she needed shoes. She said yes, so I handed her these boots.” Spice pointed down to the UGG boots she was wearing.

Toby Stockholm, who lives three campsites down with his wife from where Kid was staying, said that police arrived around 6:30 p.m., but her body wasn’t taken until after 10 p.m. In between, her mother arrived to identify Kid as Cheyenne. “Her mother was crying so much she fainted right into my arms,” Toby said as he paced around trying to find anything with to decorate her memorial.

As more people gathered, Kid’s boyfriend rode past on his bike quickly, initially only taking a glance. “We all love you,” Spice yelled out. He returned an hour later to give Spice a sign: “For Niña from Niño I will love you forever see you in the afterlife 2017.”